What Color is "Buff"?

With my Spring Barn Sale fast approaching, I am very busy these days painting furniture. This season, I have decided to experiment a little bit more with color than the basics of ivory and black that I have loved in the past. I think it must be a result of all the wonderful new design trends I am exposed to, as I continue working toward my degree in Interior Design. Or maybe, I’m just ready to ‘step out of the box’ and try something new. Whatever, the reason, I am discovering some new favorite colors. At least – they’re all new colors for me. The ironic thing is that all of these new “colors” are actually wonderfully soft, soothing neutrals. I suspect I have a subconscious need for all things soothing and calm – our two college-age sons (and all their stuff!) come home for the summer in just a couple of weeks! Anyway, this week, my favorite color is one I call “buff”. But, what color is ‘buff”? That‘s a good question!


My 16-year old daughter, a talented aspiring artist, thinks it’s a terrible word, and we had a lively discussion over how I could better describe this wonderful, calming, yet elegant, color. The color is very close to a natural unbleached linen; somewhere between a light gray-ish tan and ecru. However, I hesitate to use ‘linen’ to describe it because all of my ivory pieces are painted in a Benjamin Moore color called ‘Linen White’. The actual name for my new favorite color, also a Benjamin Moore paint, is “Thunder” but that sounds much more gray the color actually is. And so, I came back to buff. I really LOVE it! Its so sophisticated, and yet neutral enough to go with any décor. If you make it out to my barn sale, you’ll have to let me know what words YOU would use to describe it. At any rate, it doesn’t matter too much. Next week, I think I’ll work with Benjamin Moore’s “Pashmina” - a color I’m going to call “Stone”!

New life for old furniture!

A new entry: New life for old furniture….

Between my classes (I’m working on an Interior Design degree), cleaning up storm damage around our property, and trying to get ready for a Spring barn sale, there hasn’t been much time to work on my blog. Yesterday however, I was working on a beautiful old chest from 1955, and it occurred to me that people might like to know my favorite furniture tip: lemon oil! Did you know that an old piece of furniture that is looking tired and dirty can be given new life just by cleaning it with lemon oil? Take a look at the pictures here. These are the SAME drawer before and after a good cleaning with lemon oil.

BEFORE: 

AFTER:

Here’s how to achieve these results on your own piece of furniture:

1. Remove the hardware from each drawer or door.

• Always take the time to remove the hardware. This step is necessary because very often the worst dirt is around the pulls, and if you try to work around them, you will not be able to keep your strokes going in the direction of the grain.

2. Apply a liberal amount of lemon oil directly to the surface.

•  Any kind of lemon oil will do. I buy mine at Safeway. Just make sure its 100% lemon oil, with no additives.

3. Using #0000 steel wool, rub the lemon oil into the wood in the direction of the grain.

•  You must use #0000 steel wool. This is the finest grade available in your local hardware store. Anything rougher – even #000 may scratch your finish, so take care when choosing steel wool.
• Always work in the direction of the grain. If you do not, again – you’ll get scratches.
• If you’re nervous or unsure, always test first in an inconspicuous spot.

4. Wipe up any excess oil with a soft clean cloth and reattach the hardware.

  

It’s really just that simple! Cleaning your old wood furniture with lemon oil is like giving thirsty wood a long cool drink of water. Here’s another example. In the picture below, you don’t see the same drawer, but rather two drawers from the same piece. Both drawers started out looking like the drawer on the right, but in the photo, the one on the left has been cleaned with lemon oil and steel wool – nothing else!

One final note – and this is important: Make sure you use plenty of lemon oil. Don’t skimp! The lemon oil acts as a lubricant between the furniture surface and the steel wool. You need to have a thick layer to prevent scratching – but as long as you do – you can really scrub! In fact, you’ll be surprised at how vigorously you can scrub the surface! Give it try – you’re going to love the results!

p.s. This hint will not work on modern furniture that has a polyurethane finish. It won’t hurt it, but you won’t see much of a result.